The evil bushmeat trade is driving giraffes to extinction. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), giraffe numbers in Africa have fallen by a staggering 48 per cent in the past 30 years, in what is being called a “silent extinction.”
These shy, gentle and graceful creatures are butchered for the bushmeat trade and their body parts are used to make jewellery, bracelets and purses. Poachers are killing giraffes by the thousands, using snares that pull tight around their necks or legs, causing horrific wounds.
Made from metal wires scavenged from tires, bikes, motorcycles and even wildlife-protecting fences, these homemade torture devices maim, mutilate, and kill untold numbers of giraffes.
While some caught in snares end up being eaten, most are left to rot in the bush.
A tragic waste of a special life…
In the Serengeti ecosystem, these gentle giants have been found clinging to life with snares ripped into their legs and wrapped tightly around their exposed bones. In northern Tanzania, giraffes have been found trapped, dying in agony, hanging by their necks from snares set in trees.
Another poaching method is to blind giraffes with bright flashlights; while the poor creatures are disoriented, men hack violently at their long legs, severing their tendons. The giraffes crash to the ground, still ALIVE, where they are mercilessly chopped to death.
They are already extinct in seven countries: Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Guinea, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal.
Friend, every step we take now is critical. Every step we take now will determine their future. We need to act fast. If these fragile creatures don’t get our immediate protection, we may be forced to live in a world without them.
Giraffes are beloved, peaceful and empathetic animals – quietly grazing on treetops, bending down to touch noses with their new-borns, forming close friendships, and mourning their dead.
As recently as 15 years ago, there were around 140,000 giraffes in Africa. It is believed that there are now only some 68,000 mature giraffes left and these numbers are under massive threat.
Can you imagine living in a world without these extraordinary and unique African creatures? Then Friend, please respond right now before giraffes are gone forever.
We must continue our work to raise public awareness about the outrageous cruelty involved in giraffe poaching and habitat decline. Friend, with you on our side, PAL will continue to fight this monstrous cruelty. Your donation in any amount will help.